Review of Dinosaur Brains: Dealing with All Those Impossible People at Work

Psychologist and author Albert J. Bernstein uses the metaphor of dinosaur brains to describe how seemingly rational people suddenly become confrontational. According to Wilmot and Hocker in Interpersonal Conflict (seventh edition, 2007, p. 37), metaphors in conflict "aid in understanding, intervention, and lasting change". The dinosaur brain metaphor creates an expectation of primitive thinking and works well in the conflicts described in the book.

For many people going to work means traveling back to prehistoric times. Bosses, coworkers, and subordinates are sometimes territorial, impatient, illogical, controlling, and provocative. This behavior comes from the part of the brain below the limbic system, which the authors cleverly call the dinosaur brain. The dinosaur brain gives instructions for handling anger, danger, sexuality, and fear. The cortex, on the other hand, is the area in which thinking, associating, reasoning, and logic occur. People under stress tend to unconsciously revert to using their dinosaur brains. When threatened, the dinosaur brain triggers the fight, flight, or freight response. If not used properly, these responses will quickly derail a career.

The real life experiences punctuated throughout this book illustrate the damage a dinosaur leaves in its wake. After each story, guidelines are presented to teach the reader how to effectively interrupt the dinosaur thought pattern. One such lesson is on defensiveness. Charlotte believes that her boss does not like her. He gave her a 'needs improvement' on her interpersonal skills. She reacted in a typical dinosaur manner and became defensive. She went to the vice-president and told him about her unfair treatment, and wrote a memo protesting her performance evaluation. She began recording all of her boss's actions in writing. Bernstein shows how Charlotte created the very result that she feared most. Her boss became angry with her, and harder on her. Charlotte believes that she is innocent in this conflict and becomes stressed each time she replays the episode in her mind. Dinosaur thinking often leads to stress, which then perpetuates the cycle. I agree that Charlotte's mind was so clouded with anger that she was unable to see her role in the conflict, and therefore did not control her actions appropriately.

The dinosaur brain does have some positive attributes as well. This area of the brain will create extreme loyalty in employees if they are treated well. Employees need to feel valued and in control of their career. Anger from the dinosaur brain can also be properly channeled and effective. In one story, Zach, a levelheaded manager, suddenly stood up in the middle of an unproductive meeting, knocking over his chair. He angrily said that he is sick and tired of the group putting off making decisions and he would come back to the meeting when the other managers were ready to move forward. This was a positive use of anger and resulted in management finally committing to a decision.

Bernstein and Rozen's goal was to teach us how to use our more highly evolved brains to divert colleagues from using their dinosaur brains to impede our progress at work.

The collaboration between Bernstein and Rozen worked extremely well. Bernstein, the psychologist, presented the explanations, psychological principles, and self-help techniques. Rozen contributed her real life stories, as well as her editing and writing experience.

I would recommend this book to anyone that would like to lessen his stress levels at work. It presents excellent ideas that can be experimented with immediately, and can result in an improved work environment.

Bernstein, A.J., & Rozen, S.C. (1989). Dinosaur Brains: Dealing with
All Those Impossible People at Work. New York: Ballantine
Books.